Mobile machines such as haul trucks, excavators, motor graders, backhoes, water trucks, and other large equipment are utilized at a common worksite to accomplish a variety of tasks. In some situations, the machines are autonomously or semi-autonomously controlled. In these situations, control of the machines may be at least partially dependent on data provided by different sensors mounted onboard the machines. Specifically, data from the sensors can be selectively used to trigger different events associated with machine and/or worksite conditions.
The different events may be triggered to help ensure proper and productive operation of the machines at the worksite. For example, an event may be associated with an unexpected value for a monitored machine performance parameter, such as a sudden change in acceleration, heading, speed, wheel slip, torque output, or payload. In another example, an event may be associated with a detected obstacle in an intended travel path or a degraded road condition. When an event is triggered, a response may be initiated to deal with the event. The response could involve evasive machine maneuvering (e.g., slowing, stopping, steering, alternate path generation, etc.) and/or worksite maintenance (e.g., removal of an obstacle, roadway repair, path closure, etc.). In some situations, however, the data surrounding the triggered event may be insufficient, and generating a response in such situations could be ineffective, expensive, and even detrimental.
One attempt to improve data management of a mobile machine is described in U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0125979 by Plante that published on Jun. 14, 2007 (“the '979 publication”). In particular, the '979 publication describes a vehicle event recorder system having a video camera, a memory system, and a radio communications facility. An automobile is equipped with the video camera and the video camera continuously records video of the automobile and its surroundings. The system is then selectively triggered to provide a video record of unusual events that occur from time-to-time. These events include accidents, near-miss incidents, driving use, etc. When the events occur, the system is triggered to preserve video images collected before and after the moment of the event, and to wirelessly communicate the preserved images to an offboard location via the radio communications facility. Replay of these images at the offboard location can then yield information regarding the cause and true nature of the event. A plurality of similarly equipped vehicles may communicate with a common system at the offboard location, providing a fleet manager advanced fleet management tools.
Although the system of the '979 publication may help manage data associated with individual machines of a fleet during separate events, it may be less that optimal. In particular, the video record preserved by the system of the '979 patent may lack coordination of sufficient fleet data regarding a particular event. In addition, the system of the '979 patent may not provide a way to obtain or coordinate additional information about the event.
The disclosed worksite data management system is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.